The General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) announced today ‘‘the start of operation’’ of the first unit at the new South Tripoli station.
This comes, it added, in preparation for its connection to the public electricity grid, as part of the work to complete and equip the generating units at the station.
GECOL did not give any further detail on when it expects newly generated power to reach the public. Libyan media speculation says ''within days''.
It will be recalled that last Wednesday (26 August) the newly installed GECOL Chairman, Bashir Al-Marash, assured that Libya’s current electricity crisis will come to an end within the next two weeks.
The total production capacity of the South Tripoli station is about 1,300 megawatts, and GECOL and the Tripoli based Abdel Hamid Aldabaiba government is betting heavily on the station to end the country's electricity crisis.
However, many analysts on Libyan media question that the South Tripoli station's output is enough to cover Libya's annually increasing power consumption.
Libya's summer 2026 electricity crisis
It will be recalled that Libya is going through an acute electricity crisis since mid-June with extensive and frequent power cuts and blackouts. These have led to violent demonstrations, road blockades, and the barricading of state buildings.
Knock-on effects of the power cuts
Power cuts have had knock-on effects, including telecommunications interruptions, a spike in the price and demand for diesel used for generators, bread shortages and price hikes, a loss of production by industries, closures of clinics etc.
All these have at times threatened to bring down the Aldabaiba government. Aldabaiba’s response has been to appoint a new GECOL Chairman.